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Why Bitcoin is the largest Ponzi scheme in human history

Why Bitcoin is the largest Ponzi scheme in human history
by Vivek Wadhwa on 12-29-2017 at 12:00 pm

During the late ’90s, Silicon Valley venture capitalists and New York City investment bankers used phrases such as “monetizing eyeballs,” “stickiness,” and “B2C” to justify the ridiculous valuations of Internet companies. They claimed conventional methods were inapplicable in valuing the dot-com companies — which had noRead More


Autonomous Vehicles Upending Automotive Design Process

Autonomous Vehicles Upending Automotive Design Process
by Tom Simon on 12-28-2017 at 12:00 pm

The automotive industry has a history of bringing about disruptive technological advances. One only needs to look at the invention of the assembly line by Henry Ford to understand the origins of this phenomenon. Today we stand on the brink of a massive change in how cars operate and consequently how they are built. A number of automotive… Read More


A Picture is worth a 1,000 words

A Picture is worth a 1,000 words
by Daniel Payne on 12-28-2017 at 7:00 am

Semiconductor IP re-use is a huge part of the productivity gains in SoC designs, so instead of starting from a clean slate most chip engineers are re-using cells, blocks, modules and even sub-systems from previous designs in order to meet their schedule and stay competitive in the market place. But what happens when you intend to… Read More


Lipstick on the Digital Pig

Lipstick on the Digital Pig
by Bill Montgomery on 12-27-2017 at 12:00 pm

I have a lot of friends in the real estate industry, and two of the most common sales tactics are to create “curb appeal,” and to “stage” the interior of the residence being sold. Curb appeal, of course, refers to making the home looks as appealing as possible upon first impression. Update the landscaping. Add flowers. Make sure theRead More


Using Sequential Testing to Shorten Monte Carlo Simulations

Using Sequential Testing to Shorten Monte Carlo Simulations
by Tom Simon on 12-27-2017 at 7:00 am

When working on an analog design, after initial design specs have been met, it is useful to determine if the design meets specs out to 3 or 4 sigma based on process variation. This can serve as a useful step before going any further. It might not be a coincidence that foundries base their Cpk on 3-sigma. To refresh, Cpk is the ratio of the… Read More


Neural Networks Leverage New Technology and Mimic Ancient Biological Systems

Neural Networks Leverage New Technology and Mimic Ancient Biological Systems
by Tom Simon on 12-26-2017 at 12:00 pm

Neural networks make it possible to use machine learning for a wide variety of tasks, removing the need to write new code for each new task. Neural networks allow computers to use experiential learning instead of explicit programming to make decisions. The basic concepts related to neural networks were first proposed in the 1940’s,… Read More


HLS Rising

HLS Rising
by Bernard Murphy on 12-26-2017 at 7:00 am

No-one could accuse Badru Agarwala, GM of the Mentor/Siemens Calypto Division, of being tentative about high-level synthesis. (HLS). Then again, he and a few others around the industry have been selling this story for quite a while, apparently to a small and not always attentive audience. But times seem to be changing. I’ve written… Read More


China is right: The world doesn’t need Silicon Valley

China is right: The world doesn’t need Silicon Valley
by Vivek Wadhwa on 12-25-2017 at 7:00 am

Ever since the Chinese Government banned Facebook in 2009, Mark Zuckerberg has been making annual trips there attempting to persuade its leaders to let his company back in. He learned Mandarin and jogged through the smog-filled streets of Beijing to show how much he loved the country. Facebook even created new tools to allow China… Read More


2017 Semiconductors +20%, 2018 slower

2017 Semiconductors +20%, 2018 slower
by Bill Jewell on 12-24-2017 at 7:00 am

The global semiconductor market in 2017 will finish with annual growth of about 20%. Recent forecasts range from 19.6% to 22%. World Semiconductor Trades Statistics (WSTS) data is finalized through October, thus the final year results will almost certainly be within this range. We at Semiconductor Intelligence have raised … Read More


IEDM 2017 – Intel Versus GLOBALFOUNDRIES at the Leading Edge

IEDM 2017 – Intel Versus GLOBALFOUNDRIES at the Leading Edge
by Scotten Jones on 12-22-2017 at 9:00 am

As I have discussed in previous blogs, IEDM is one of the premier conferences to learn about the latest developments in semiconductor technology. … Read More